Dreams and Nightmares
by JadeFeonix
Summary: The Doctor is alerted to an anomaly...meets the Nightmare Child and a new companion. 10/OC Sorry I suck summaries. The first couple chapters are a bit boring but the lay the foundation for the rest of the story. Please Review.
1. The Noise

**A/N: So this chapter is really just memory and episode convo but it helps lay the foundation for my story! Thank you so much for stanleydoodles and LaylaPendragon for being beta readers you guys are awesome!**

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He sat in the control room of his marvelous blue box as it hurtled through the vortex his long fingers touching levers and prodding buttons. A gentle hum came from the TARDIS and the rumble of the vortex outside could be heard. The coral pillars surrounded him in a protective circle and the wall lighting casting comforting shadows across the room. The Doctor stared at his reflection in the viewing screen scrutinizing his appearance. He ran his hands through messy, spiky, brown hair helping it defy gravity, he was quite fond of his Romanesque nose and his russet eyes held the pain of his 900 years; he sighed heavily. The Doctor contemplated his past, he kept promising himself he would not do as a rule, and it was a good rule, simply because it hurt to do so. He remembered the last time all of his dear companions were with him. The One he lost, the One who left, the One who forgot, the One who lives and the One who moved on. '_Not to mention Micky and Jackie._' He thought bitterly. Just as he was moving on to other thoughts, the TARDIS psychically steered him back to that fateful day.

"What is it old girl? What are you trying to make me remember?" the TARDIS hummed and the Doctor continued to think about the hour of his loss.

_The Supreme Dalek's eyestalk swiveled to the Doctor. " __Nevertheless: the TARDIS is a weapon and it will be destroyed.__" The Doctor stared at the now closed trapdoor._

_His mouth gaped in horror "__What're you doing?! Bring it back__!" He grasped his hair in despair while the Supreme Dalek looked on._

"_The Crucible has a heart of Z-Neutrino Energy. The TARDIS will be deposited into the core.__" Supreme Dalek's mechanical voice cranked out._

_His horrified voice tore through the room and slowly gained volume "__But you can't, you've taken the __defenses down. __It'll be torn apart! __"_

_Rose came to the Doctor's side. "But Donna's still in there." She gestured violently to the trap door._

"_Let her go!" Jack yelled while trying to struggle. Suddenly a holographic screen appeared and showed the poor TARDIS bobbing in the core of energy. The Doctor took a few steps toward the image._

"_The female and the TARDIS will perish together!__" the voice of the Supreme Dalek came; he continued "__The last child of Gallifrey is powerless__."_

_The Doctor decided to humble himself in front of his greatest enemy. "__Please. I'm begging you, I'll do anything!__" agitation rang in his voice. "Put me in her place!" his face started to redden with anger and he continued to beg, "__You can do anything to me, I don't care, just get her out of there!__" he gritted his trembling and breathed heavily through his nostrils._

_It watched as the Doctor broke out into a sweat, "__You are connected to the TARDIS. Now, feel it die.__" _

_A Dalek beside the Supreme Dalek's platform lit up "__Total TARDIS destruction in ten rels!__"it continued as Rose came over to hold the Doctor's hand "__Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!__ Four! Three! Two! One!" the TARDIS faded away._

_Atop his platform Supreme Dalek watched and spoke, "__The TARDIS has been destroyed. Now, tell me, Doctor... what do you feel? Anger? Sorrow? Despair?__" the Doctor's face was dark and somber._

"_Yea" was all he said_

A disturbed hum came from the TARDIS, "I didn't like that bit either." But he understood that was not what she was trying to tell him so he went back further to when he heard Darvos' voice for the first time in years.

"_Your voice is different, and yet, its arrogance is unchanged.__" The Dalek creator wheezed his chest rising and falling raggedly. The Doctor recognized that voice, froze and stared at what was left of Darvos. "__Welcome... to my new Empire, Doctor.__" He continued. In the TARDIS, Donna stepped back in revulsion, back on the screen Darvos gloated to his still frozen enemy, "__It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, Lord and Creator of the Dalek Race.__ Have you nothing to say?"_

"_Doctor?" Donna stared at him worried; she put a hand on his arm trying to comfort her best friend. "__Doctor, it's all right. We're... we're in the TARDIS. We're safe.__"_

_When he finally spoke the Doctor's voice was shaking and full of fear. "__But you were destroyed.__" His face looked as numb as his voice sounded. Finally, he took a deep breath to stop his voice from wavering. "__I saw your command ship flying into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you...__"_

_On the screen, Davros grinned enjoying the Doctors obvious confusion gladly explaining his glorious escape from death "__But it took one stronger than you. Dalek Caan himself.__Emergency temporal shift took him back into the Time War itself. __" _

_In the background in the melted casing Dalek Caan cackled in a sing-song voice "__I flew into the wild and fire. I danced and died a thousand times!__"_

Shudders of dread spread through the Doctor, the TARDIS sent comforting waves in to his psyche. "This? This is what you want me to remember?" an affirming hum came from the TARDIS, "Why do you want me to remember the Nightmare Child?"

Just as he finished that sentence, the TARDIS careened and sent the Doctor into the sparking console; flames from beneath the grating licked and singed the bottoms of his suit pants. "What's wrong?" he yelled at the time rotor. As if to answer, the viewing screen whips around almost bashing him in the skull. "Oi!" he yelled, barely grabbing it in time, and stared at the screen. "What?" he mumbled; the screen showed the TARDIS locked on to a particular sound wave and plotting a course to meet it.

"Oh no you don't!" he roared at his machine as he jostled around the console stopping the erratic and unplanned trip. "Why would you lock on to a sound 20 years in the past?" caressing the console, as the TARDIS hummed furiously at the impediment of her voyage.

"Well let's just take a listen to what has got you all riled up." Donning his smart glasses, he squinted at the screen. The sound wave flickered and he struck the screen three times; while the visual of the sound wave stabilized the actual audio was faint and corrupted. He glared at the screen while pulling out his sonic screwdriver; as the devise whirred and flashed the Doctor twisted knobs on the screen. After a couple of minutes the sound bursts through the speakers abruptly and loudly. He had to cover his ears because his eardrums threatened to burst. The TARDIS physically shuddered as he identified the noise, it was a crying newborn and it was in pain, so much pain. Unable to bare it anymore so, he soniced the screen and all fell silent. "WHAT?!" the Doctor says his face scrunching up and lip curling in confusion.

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**Review. Comment. Spam. Follow. Whatever just let me know you are there so I can keep writing! Love you all for reading.**


	2. A Chance Encounter

**A/N: So chapter 2...Basically a slight Character Study on the OC of the story. LOTS of detail but do not worry there will be lots of action in the next chapter.**

**Just want to say thank you to LaylaPenndragon and stanleydoodles for beta-ing this chapter for me. Could not have done it without you two wonderful ladys! **

**Anyway here is the chapter!**

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20 years ago

A group of people huddled around a young woman at Royal Hope Hospital. She had been in labor for sixteen hours and it was almost time for the grand finale. "AUUUGH!" The teen screamed pushing with everything she had in her small frail body.

"Just one more push Rebecca and then she'll be out." The obstetrician said, her voice slightly muffled through her mask. Rebecca pushed and screamed violently until a tiny baby girl slid out covered in birthing fluid. Two couples looked on with apprehension waiting for the baby to cry; the nurses glanced at each other and quickly took the child into the other room. The too young mother closed her eyes as the older couple came to comfort her. Rebecca's parents stroked her hair as a younger couple rushed to the nearest nurse.

"What's wrong? What's happening to my baby?" The woman demanded.

The nurse looked at the young couple with a serious face and said somberly "Your baby's heart is trying to work too hard."

The man glanced at his distraught wife and questioned the nurse further. "What does that mean?" Both he and his wife were on the verge of tears, as he grasped her small hand in his large one. They had waited so long to adopt a child and now, they might lose her.

"Her heart is beating too fast like it's…trying to make up for something…"her eyes became unfocused for a second then continued, "I'm not sure." Suddenly a pained scream erupted from the other room and the young woman burst into joyous sobs.

"Alice, Alice, it's fine, OUR baby will be fine." He stared into Alice's light blue eyes, her blonde hair frazzled and her small frame wracked with joy. The screams quieted down and Alice glanced at the door in worry.

When the head nurse came in two minutes later she smiled as she looked at the husband, soon to be a father. He was in his late twenties to early thirties, had deep brown hair with brown eyes, which at that moment happened to be slightly red from crying and a long, square nose, also was puffy from tears. "Follow me and say hello to your daughter," she said sweetly. The head nurse lead them into the adjacent room where a tiny baby girl was laying in a hospital cradle two tubes connected to her little body. One, an IV; the other a feeding tube. "Oh Frank!" Alice cried as she gazed upon her daughter, "She's perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

Frank peered at the tiny girl and she opened her eyes. She stared back, blue as the sky. He gasped and breathed out "Gabriella"

Present

Gabriella Madison Rodgers stepped out of the taxi and started toward her apartment in Cheswick. Her heavy book bag slid down so she hoisted it higher on to her shoulder.

A student at the university, she had been studying animal science and medicine to become a veterinarian, with four years left until her dual major; Gabriella would be graduating two years after her twenty-fourth birthday and she was counting down the days.

Her feet hit the stairway and she climbed the two stories to her apartment door. "No, it's called a flat." she reminded herself. Her voice was soft and lilting, everyone was confused by her American, but slightly British accent due to the three years in Britain had her using the common British vernacular. It had been difficult moving back to the UK and leaving her parents in America but now she was close to her childhood hometown.

She entered her flat, flicked the light switch, and the sounds of her blinds softly rustling and the hum of the A/C vent below them reached her ears as she scanned the room like she did every night. Brown shag carpeted the floors and the light bounced off the soft crème walls, her one solitary couch still looked lonely its only friends the iron and glass coffee table with matching end table. Her own artwork adorned the walls, they were mostly animal studies and anatomy drawings turned paintings, watercolor and/or charcoal. It was home, but it still did not feel right to Gabriella. She had the same problem in America, which was why she had moved back to Britain. To her it felt like she belonged somewhere else, she just had no idea where.

An airy sigh escaped her lips as she traveled to the small, drab kitchen where she promptly dumped her bag on the tiny table and set about making a PBJ. After her sandwich was made, she checked the clock, "12:30am, ugh. Well, I guess I should start on the small mountain of homework before it gets any later." She sighed into the empty room, running a long fingered hand through her hair.

While munching on her sandwich, she pulled out her BIO 500 homework. Glancing at through the questions she looked for anything they discussed that day. It was only review material, which meant a test the day after tomorrow with today's material as extra credit. Grabbing her pencil she started on the first of four pages.

She looked at the first question: _What is the smallest number of nucleotides that must be added or subtracted to alter the reading frame?_ Gabriella smiled this was going to be easy. The answer was three; the rest of the homework was cake and she quickly finished the four pages. She swiveled her head to check the clock 1:45. A smile twitched the corner of her mouth and she thought: _'Not bad!'_

Her next bit of homework was A&P, so she snatched her book from the pile, starting it with gusto. It was basically asking her to draw all the different systems and then label them with their uses. "Piece of cake" she thought a broad, abet drained smile gracing her lips. By the time she was done it was early in the morning. '_It's a good thing I stayed with the tutors to work on the first half of my homework,_' was the only thing she could think of, groaning and rubbing her eyes, she started on the last bit she would be able to get done that night.

Gearing herself up she seized various texts and began to read the fifty required pages. The next hour was filled with reading, highlighting and note taking. Once done, she capped her markers and sat there groggily, trying to remember how to make her legs work. It was all futile as her head gently slipped down her arms and fell asleep.

_Fire, fire everywhere panic racked her body, someone was screaming and someone was cackling madly. Gabriella had no idea where she was, it was gloomy and shadows leapt with the flames. She looked up to see a high ceiling, chains hanging like banisters; weird looking skulls lined wall-to-wall shelves of the octagonal room. Red, black and neon colored stains splashed walls and floor._

_A figure stood in the middle of the room, seeped in shadow, pounding the center consul. Long, wild and knotted hair cascaded down the figure's back partially obscuring the ragged robes that hung from the figure's frame. The screams of terror got louder as the figure turned its head up to scream with a mad joy at the skulls._

"_The Nightmare Child has come to play_

_Killing and devouring anything in my way_

_Species will die and planets will fry!" the figure chanted to the air. Gabriella shivered in pure terror, a weak hum pressed at the base of her skull almost as if trying to comfort her. The figure resumed its chant._

"_When the Nightmare Child comes out to play_

_There will be nobody to save the day_

_The Doctor shall fall_

_Dooming you all," suddenly the figure turned and looked directly at Gabriella; all she can see are red and gold eyes. _

"_When I come out to play!" The figure finished its chant. Gabriella screamed._

She jolted awake the dream fading from memory, and scrambled to the bathroom, vomiting up what was left of her dinner last night. Shoulders shaking and head throbbing, she reached into the medicine cabinet to grab her anti-hallucinogens and anxiety pills. Gabriella groaned, "Why are they starting again now?"

She noticed the light filtering through the bathroom window, checking her watch, it read 9:30am. Her first class did not start until noon, but she decided to get ready anyway. Wanting to do something, anything normal to chase away the foreboding terror she felt.

Shedding her sweat stained clothes Gabriella started the shower at the hottest temperature she could handle. Stepping into the hot water she went, basking in it for a minute letting it cascade through her auburn locks, she closed her green eyes and sighs, the dream forgotten but the feelings of horror remained.

To comfort herself, she grabbed her favorite shampoo and lathered the raspberry pomegranate liquid in her hair. Her headache loosened as her fingers deftly wove in and out of the half ringlets and nails lightly scraped her scalp. After she rinsed her hair, Gabriella grabbed the complementary conditioner and massaged it from scalp to end. She twisted her hair and fastened it with a clip; letting her hair have time to soak, she grabbed her exfoliating peach body wash and lathered her whole body. As she went back over her body, she systematically shaved, and once groomed to perfection she lathered one more time before rinsing off and letting her hair down to finish her hair regimen. Before stepping out of the shower, she rinsed off in cool water to keep her hair from frizzing. The shower was comforting, as it always had been since her teen years.

She stepped out, steam rose off her skin tinged pink and slightly glowing from the sun refracting off water droplets, and toweled off. She made her way to the fogged mirror and wiped it, taking a hard look at her 5'6" frame, just little taller than average. Her shoulder length wavy hair was plastered to her body; she hated those half ringlets, but ever since her 6th grade poodle curl perm, her hair retained a slight wavy look which grew to pronounced half ringlets when wet.

Shaking her head, she looked closer at her face. It had been free of blemishes since 10th grade with only slight scarring. She glared at her eyebrows wishing they were slimmer and more arched. The only problem was she hated plucking, not that they were horribly bad, about as thick as a pencil. She moved on to her eyes, green with flecks of yellowy brown framed by thick medium length lashes. Her nose was short, straight and dainty, quite possibly her favorite feature. Her pale lips quirked into a smile as she examined her wide mouth; the bottom lip was full while the upper slightly slimmer. It almost gave them a cartoony feel.

Gabriella zoomed out her self-scrutiny to look at her heart-shaped face and large ears. That was the thing she hated most about her face. They were not 'Dumbo' big, but she felt they were disproportionally larger than they should be. Gabriella usually balanced this out by wearing hanging earrings or leaving her hair down. Shaking her hair again, she took a final look at herself and stared at the creamy skin of her body. She liked to wear sunscreen because her skin tanned weird. Overall she darkened easily but within days her face and torso became lighter than her legs and arms. To prevent looking like a freak she always carried sunscreen and a small parasol. Stepping away from the mirror, Gabriella shivered and realized she still was not dressed.

Scooting into the only bedroom she ran to her smaller dresser and pulled out her peach colored cotton undergarments, after slipping those on, she quickly brushed her hair so it would not get frizzy. As she walked to the closet she tried to think what she wanted to wear that day. Grabbing her dark slim jeans, monochrome stripped long-sleeved shirt and ankle boots; she quickly dressed and glanced at the clock, 10am. She walked back to the bathroom and put in her large silver dangling earrings, silver strands with small stars attached. The only make-up she wore was mascara, a thin line of eyeliner and a sienna eye shadow. Slipping on her wide, black headband, she took one last glance at her ensemble, "Well I look presentable," she said with a sigh.

She went through this same routine every day; terror, shower, dress and forget, and it was tiring. Gabriella went to the kitchen and made toast and hot chocolate. After breakfast she brushed her teeth and started the last of her homework, by 11:30 she was done with everything. Quickly she grabbed her white pea coat and slinging her now full book bag on her shoulder, she sprinted down the stairs. After hailing a taxi Gabriella was at the university ten minutes before her first class.

Advanced A&P went normally as did her other three classes. Walking to her last class she was looking down at her books when someone ran into her. "OI!" She yelled. As she scrambled to pick up her books she scanned around to try to find a culprit and saw a blue flash turn the corner and a male voice yell, "SORRY!"

Grumbling, she entered her Biology classroom. For mid-semester it was pretty empty; she sat in her chair and noticed Maria, the smart girl who normally beside her, was missing. Gabriella turned to Jim on her left and asked if he had seen Maria these last two classes.

"No I haven't, in fact no one's seen her in a week…" he seemed worried and startled that he did not notice it before. _'Oh sweet Jim, good ole here-I-always-have-an-extra-pencil-for-you Jim.'_ She thought. Before they could talk further, Professor Morrison walked in and explained there had been some more drops and that they would be starting class. As Professor Morrison began to drone on and Gabriella took notes, she suddenly sensed that Maria's chair was filled by someone and when she turned to look, there in the chair was a handsome man in a blue suit. He turned to her and flashed a bright smile.

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**So? What did you guys think? Good? Bad? Rubbish? I should stop writing and go die in a hole? Well I will not know if you do not comment/review, favorite or follow! I need the love people!**


	3. Aliens Anyone?

**A/N: Sorry this took a bit longer than expected, I was in a bit of a car accident and had to take a couple days to recover! That said here is your first taste of action! Thank you as always to my wonderful beta's LaylaPendragon, stanleydoodles and new to my beta crew TattooedLibrarian! You guys are so awesome helping me and all that jazz!**

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"Hello!" he said, turned all the way to face her, he was still showing that toothy grin.

"Um, hi." Gabriella responded and turned back to the Professor to continue taking notes. Another tap on the shoulder, she swiveled her head toward the stranger.

The smile is still on his face, although now it looked goofier than before, "Ah, hello again," the man whispered, she nodded trying to be polite, "what class is this?" He finished, the grin slightly widened.

This time she turned her whole body toward him; many students accidentally go to the wrong classroom but not usually this late in the semester. Gabriella took a good look at this scarecrow in a suit. He had ridiculous spiky hair and he seemed a little too old to be a student while his eyes looked timeless. Shaking her head she voiced her concerns "This is advanced placement biology 500 and if you'll pardon my frankness but you seem a bit old and comfortable to be a student. Are you a visiting professor?"

His smile weakened for a second before coming back even brighter, "Right you are!" He answered holding out a blank piece of paper and gazing at her expectantly.

"Sir, that's just a blank piece of paper." She said confused and suspicious. His smile completely disappeared and a frown replaced it.

"You mean it doesn't say Doctor Professor John Smith?" He quizzed looking at the paper. She quickly shook her head no as he 'hmmmed' and 'tutted'.

Deciding to ignore this strange 'Professor' she turned back around and wholeheartedly resumed taking notes. Another tap to the shoulder, "What?!" her voice was an annoyed hiss.

"Geez an American with an attitude." He said with a brazen smile, Gabriella was about to open her mouth to rebuke when he barreled on, "if you can't read what's on this paper, that means you're very weird." She scowled, although used to being called weird. "Oh no, take it as a compliment!" He stuttered when he saw her scowl. "Anyway since you can't read the psychic paper would you humor me and stare at your Professor and tell me if anything's off?" He gestured forward.

Feeling guilty about being rude to a possible professor she gave him a pained smile and did as he asked. "No sir, nothing wrong with Professor Morrison." She countered, continuing to jot down notes on cellular disease.

"Ah but you didn't even try to look." He whined with a huff and a pout while running a hand through his hair, "Could you _really_ look, for me? Here take these even." He pulled out an old pair of 3D glasses.

Just as she was about to decline, Professor Morrison's hands spasmed causing the marker and text book to drop out of his hand with an atrocious noise. Everyone jumped and a nervous laugh spread through the room with the assumption that it was an attempt at ensuring attention. The professor glared the classroom quiet. He scanned each face, his own twitching periodically; beside her the man hunkered down near Maria's seat putting a finger over pursed lips in the sign for quiet.

Pulling a new marker out of his pocket, Morrison began lecturing again. That is when Gabriella noticed them, gossamer strands attached to each of the professor's limbs and one attached to his head. "Like marionette strings," she whispered.

The man was staring intently at her face. "Hmm?" he questioned. Not taking her eyes of Morrison she held her hand out for the glasses, he obliged and she slipped them on.

Gabriella bit back a yelp of surprise as those gossamer threads turned into thick tendrils. Her gaze traveled upward to see what the tendrils connected to. It was a ochre. translucent, floating blob that reminded her of the jellyfish from Spongebob. A sixth tendril scanned the room with a large, yellowed eye on the end and stopped when it looked directly at her. Professor Morrison's mouth stretched wide as an unearthly wail erupted, and the creature fully materialized before the students. Panic ensued as the class scattered and rushed to the door. Gabriella was paralyzed in her seat, while the thin man was jumping over rows waving a noisy silver stick with blue flashing lights and a manic smile on his face.

The creature's tendrils pulled Professor Morrison's body up inside itself and dissolved him instantly. Gabriella's hand flew to her mouth and she ran to the door. Just as she was about to run through it a pained scream reached through her terror.

It was the man, "John Smith," she mumbled, swiveled around and ran down the steps towards him; a tendril was wrapped around his right leg slowly pulling him in. The other tendrils were swirling around smashing desks and punching holes in the walls.

John Smith looks up at her and she sees a flash of fear etched on his face. "What are you still doing here?! RUN!" he begged her. She shook her head and searched the room for something to help him; she grabbed a broken desk leg and ran up to the tendril striking it several times. The creature roared and released John.

"Come on then!" she bellowed, grabbing the injured professor and hauling him to his feet.

He winced and yelped as he tried to put weight on his injured leg, "Why did you come back for me?" John questioned through the pain.

"Well I couldn't just leave a 'Professor'," she stressed the word, "to die now could I? That would look terrible on my permanent record." She flashed a wry smile.

His mouth worked up and down trying desperately to come up with an answer. All he could manage was a flabbergasted, "Yes?"

The wall behind them exploded as the creature burst through the wall. "What the FUCK is that thing?!" Gabriella shrieked as she dragged the man faster, his wounded leg barely holding his weight.

"It's a Yamaros Donda, from the planet Cirrus 49." He started to chatter, a piece of wall slamming inches away from their right, stopping anything he was about to say. They made their way down the empty hall, towards the chemistry labs where the emergency exit was.

"How do we stop it?" She demanded, trying to speed up their pace.

John Smith thought and answered "The easiest way is to starve it."

"And how do we do that, genius?" She said, voice sharp.

"Well, it feeds on ambition…" He continued.

"For reals?" She huffed with exasperation.

"Oh yes," he breathed smiling up at her, "there are a whole slew of alien species that feed on emotions."

She paused for an incredulous moment, her sigh of exasperation turning into a shriek of fear as a large section of display case went hurtling in front of them where their head's would have been.

Gabriella hazarded a look behind her, instantly regretting it; the 'alien' was punching holes through walls, ripping out water lines and electric wires. She hurriedly dragged him away from the electrically charged water and the floating alien jelly-fish coming their way.

Just as she heard the crackling of the approaching water, she kicked the door to a chemistry lecture hall but the creature was right behind them. It grabbed John and threw him to the bottom of the hall, he cried out in pain as she heard bones crack.

The jelly creature was above him again trying to absorb him, while he scrambled for the silver wand but it was out of reach. Gabriella skittered down the stairs and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him away, but it was too strong.

"Just go! Leave me and run!" He begged, scrabbling for a handhold.

She scowled. "No! I didn't do that last time and I won't do it now!" She chided, voice strained with effort and pain. Gabriella looked around for something to stop his death; her scientific mind racing over everything she knew about jellyfish to find a solution.

Suddenly a plan formed as her eyes found a chemical fridge. She let go of John's hand, throwing her pea coat over his panicked body. Gabriella dodged tendrils and debris flying around her; she yanked open the door she ripped off her shirt, to prevent burns, and used it to grab the liquid nitrogen.

Running back to him she gasped as she saw the tip of his ridiculous converse penetrating the creature's membrane and instantly dissolving. The cold burn started to seep through to her hands.

'_It's now or never._' She thought, "Brace yourself," she warned with a voice braver than she felt. Gabriella raised the liquid nitrogen over head and threw all of it on the offending tendril.

Time seemed to slow as the freezing process spread upwards her mouth formed a perfect "o". In the next second, the whole creature was crystallized and started to plummet. As it hit the ground the creature exploded and shards flew everywhere, piercing the walls and several shards ripped into Gabriella's leg.

She stared down at her gushing leg and again her overly analytic mind tried to figure out what was happening, '_The shards are clustered around my mid-thigh to my ankle and the reason there is so much blood is because one must have nicked the femoral artery…that's not good.'_

Gabriella swayed on her feet and started to fall, John Smith grabbing her right before she hit the ground. The last thing she heard was, "I'm sorry, I'm so, SO sorry." And then she was out.

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**What do you guys think? Sorry it was short, it was going to be sooo much longer but I had to break it into two chapters and this was the least awkward place to break it off! Love you all for reading, would love it if you reviewed! If you notice any mistakes or have questions feel free to tell me in a review or PM.**


	4. To Which the Doctor is Helpless

**A/N: Hey guys sorry this chapter took so long to get out...I had to re-write the chapter and then I got sick and yesterday I was laid off D: But with Stanelydoodle, LaylaPendragon and TattooedLibrarian I got this pretty awesome chapter out!**

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The Doctor looked at the bleeding woman in his arms, shards of the Yamaros Donda buried in her legs, and blood flowing quickly from them. He reached behind him to grab his sonic screwdriver and swept it along her body, the diagnosis was not good. Pulling all the pieces out, he noticed a shard had nicked the artery; if he did not move fast she would bleed out in his arms within half an hour. The Doctor cringed at the thought of anymore blood on his hands; grabbing the remnants of her shirt, he salvaged enough to make a tourniquet.

Ignoring the searing pain in his own leg he wrapped his arms tighter around her after grabbing her pea coat to cover her body. He ran as gently as he could up the stairs, jumping over damaged desks and chunks of concrete. With each jostle his leg throbbed, but it mattered little as the woman's eyes swam beneath her lids and small groans of pain slipped from between her lips. The Doctor checked down the hallway making sure the electricity was off, "Wouldn't want her to get hurt, now would we?" He muttered bitterly as he resumed his quick jog down the dark hallway.

A group of rescue workers started to head their way but the Doctor ran between them, certain he could get her help faster than they.

"Oi!" one called out trying to grab the Doctor.

The Doctor sped up, desperate to get to the TARDIS, he turned a corner and almost made it to the doorway of the janitorial cupboard when all hell broke loose.

UNIT burst through the glass doors weapons drawn and in formation, the Doctor skidded to a halt. He felt his hearts dropping, there was no way to get to the TARDIS without capture and the woman in his arms did not have time for him to try to be clever. So when a group of UNIT grunts approached him he hoped they did not know that he was the "infamous" Doctor.

Luckily she moaned painfully, taking all scrutiny off of him, they swooped in and stole her from his arms. He had no choice but to relinquish her, she had been bleeding too long and they could get her to help faster than he could. '_I hope…_' the Doctor thought as they whisked her away in an ambulance.

Two young grunts examined him from afar before approaching him, "Excuse me sir, but you are rather injured. Let us take you to a med tent we have set up outside."

They led him to a tent with UNIT printed on the side, feeling no comfort in this he cast his eyes down.

He was escorted to his own hospital bed, curtained off from everyone else. They stood guard near his bed. The Doctor tried to see beyond the riot gear of the young men in an attempt to determine if he had found himself in a trap. When he couldn't decide either way, he was left to hope that he might slip away if they left.

His hope was diminishing however, after five minutes. The Doctor became antsy and wanted to leave badly, but every time he even rustled the sheets his guards would glance at him. They were starting to grow suspicious, so he decided to just stay still.

'_At least they haven't tried to give me aspirin or morphine…_' he contemplated thankfully. He clutched the woman's jacket harder, a solid mass in her pocket went barely noticed. Just as he was about to bolt, '_guns be dammed'_, he heard a beautiful and familiar voice drift towards him.

"This is the last of the injured, yea?" she said

A mumbled reply and she resumed speaking, "You didn't get a name? Really, you should know bett-" her words trailed off as she slid the curtains aside.

Martha Jones' day was not going well. First, her finance was griping about her work and then an alien attack in a very public place called her away from home. Now she learned that there was a patient whom no one thought to ask their name. She started to tell off the UNIT member when she turned to see who the patient was. That reprimand was of little importance now.

"Oh." She said, defiantly not expecting this but pleasantly surprised. That was until his clammy face and haunted eyes told her that something was going on.

"You two can leave, I think I can handle one patient, yea?" she shooed the grunts out with a bright smile on her face.

"Hello, Martha Jones!" The Doctor's gravelly voice chirped, wincing as he shifted and the pressure increased on his leg.

"Doctor," She replied slowly and deliberately, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh you know saving the planet, defeating evil, running around. The usual really." He quipped with a roguish grin.

Martha beamed at her old friend, and then grabbed his chart, after a quick glance her grin faltered, "It says here that you were found carrying a bleeding woman!" her voice held disbelief and surprise.

"Ah yes, I was about to get to that," he said wilting at her tone, "she saved my life and in the process was badly injured. I was going to take her to the hospital via TARDIS when you lot burst in."

"You lot?" She squeaked, "you say that like it's a bad thing! If I remember right, YOU were the one who recommended me for the job!"

Blinking, he ignored her point completely, like he used to, "That's beside the point! What's important is that I make sure that woman lives…" he mused. That is when a wallet fell to the floor with a loud thump. It knocked the Doctor out of his musings and he picked it up, opened it and read the driving license. "Gabriella, what a beautiful name. Oh what's this?" he turned it around and read the back. In neat, slanted handwriting was emergency contact information.

He handed the whole wallet to Martha as he leaned against the lumpy pillows. Martha took it and glanced back at the Doctor, "So what have you got _this_ girl into?" she questioned impishly.

The Doctor's face fell, "It's entirely fault, and she only got hurt because she stayed behind to help me…"

Martha sighed and patted his arm; turning away from him she pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the number. An old woman answered with a thick Scottish accent.

The Doctor barely heard Martha as she talked; drowning out everything but his guilt, it had been eating him since Gabriella started to fall. And if she died… '_No too many people have died trying to save me. She WILL. NOT. DIE_'

Martha had finished her conversation with Julie, Gabriella's Grandmother in Scotland, when she turned around to see the Doctor's eyes clenched shut and his teeth bared in what seemed to be pain.

She waited until he opened his eyes again to explain what was said. "Well Gabriella's Grandmother, Julie, won't be able to get here for three hours." She explained as the Doctor, who in turn frowned at the thought Gabriella being alone for that long.

As if reading his mind Martha tried to assure him, "Julie said that she'd call one of Gabriella's friends to meet me there." He did not look assured so she barged on, "so let's get you bandaged up and we'll get you on your way." Martha quickly bandaged him up, noticing his Time Lord biology was already starting to heal him, and smiled comfortingly at him and squeezed his knee, "see that wasn't so bad, was it?" She was trying to be optimistic and felt as if she was failing. "Okay then, all patched up now I should get going if I want to meet Gabriella's friend."

He just tiredly shook his head, "No, no we'll take the TARDIS, much faster than a car." His guilt lessened only slightly with his decision to wait for the grandmother together. '_It's the least I can do._' He mused bitterly as he finished answering her question. "She's in the cupboard by the entrance." getting up he put some weight on his injured leg, it held so he grabbed Gabriella's coat and marched out the door. Martha followed behind, reassuring the grunts and other UNIT members that all was fine.

Reaching the cupboard, the Doctor and Martha approached the TARDIS, "She won't kidnap me this time will she?" Martha joked trying to lighten the mood.

"She better not." The Doctor mumbled, the TARDIS hummed indignantly her Time Rotor pumping and signature take off song singing. She landed within seconds in a copse of trees thirty meters from the entrance.

Martha stopped the Doctor before he could exit the TARDIS, he looked at her confused.

"You can take four minutes to change your bloody clothes, wouldn't want to start a panic would we?" she explained.

He said nothing to Martha as she left; the TARDIS hummed worriedly, "It'll be fine ol' girl." He patted the consul lovingly and jogged to the wardrobe, pulling out his trusty brown coat he started to undress. The Doctor's skin had swatches of crimson, where Gabriella's blood had soaked through.

He reached into the wardrobe again expecting his brown suit, only to find his hands touching a box of wipes along with his tie. The TARDIS hummed with maternal energy, the Doctor let out a sigh, "Okay but then I should really catch up to Martha." Humming in approval the TARDIS let him be. The Doctor grabbed several wipes starting with his face and ending with his legs careful not to brush his bandaged leg. A box of wipes later and he stopped looking a deranged murderer.

He quickly redressed, put on the new shoes, grabbed his trusty brown coat and Gabriella's white one ; springing out the TARDIS doors and towards the ER. Martha was talking to a nurse when the Doctor caught up to her. "I was the field doctor on scene and would like to offer my assistance once she is out of surgery." The kindly old nurse squinted through her thick glasses at Martha; she nodded and ignored the Doctor completely.

When the nurse left, Martha turned to the Doctor catching him up on what was happening to Gabriella. "She's in surgery right now, but they believe she'll make a full recovery."

Relief spread through his hearts driving guilt further away, it had been about an hour since Martha dialed Julie's number and before he had time to say anything, a tall, dark-skinned woman rushed toward the front desk nearly knocking them over. "Um, yes I'm CeCe, a friend of Gabriella Rodgers; her Grandmother said there would be people waiting for me."

Martha rushed over to introduce herself and the Doctor, he could not help but stare, she was a dazzling specimen, but his stare was directed at her wardrobe. She wore sweats and what appeared to be an unfinished sundress.

CeCe ignored their stares and confronted the Doctor, "Julie said you were the one who saved Gabby…" her tone was slightly suspicious. He just nodded, guilt tearing at his hearts once again.

"Ah yes, I was." He cleared his throat and put his hands deep in to his pockets.

Martha tried to smooth things over as they waited for Julie, "So CeCe, I'm Dr. Jones and this is…John Smith." she said remembering the Doctor's preferred moniker.

CeCe's eyebrow quirked, "Yea, well, 'John Smith' I should thank you I guess for saving my best mate."

They migrated to the sitting area and an uncomfortable silence once again descended on them. The Doctor's nerves grew evermore frayed as time went on, mostly because of doing everything '_Slowly and in the proper order_' his inner self grumbled. It was no use running, the only way his guilt would let him is when Gabriella woke up and he knew she was okay.

Two hours later and the Doctor was on pins and needles, he had tried pacing but one glance at CeCe's venomous look and he had promptly sat down. His gaze turned towards Martha, understanding his begging glance, she dialed Julie once more and a faint ringing was heard behind them.

All three turned and there walking in was Julie, her ice blue eyes rimmed red from tears. CeCe jumped up and sprinted towards the older woman. "Grams!" she yelped as she embraced her. CeCe led Julie to the sitting area and sat her down.

Julie smiled weakly and introduced herself, "Hello dears, I'm Gabriella's grandmother Julie are you the doctor I talked to?" her voice cracked slightly and she brought a tissue to dab her eyes.

Martha nodded and started to talk to Julie, while the Doctor took a good look at the elderly woman. Thin and short Julie MacDonald was very frail looking, her thick, braided, white hair still held traces of the vibrant red it once was. '_There is no real family resemblance here._' He speculated.

It was then a kindly middle aged doctor walked up to them, CeCe sprang from her seat and ran to meet him, the Doctor and Martha helping Julie to follow "Hello, I am Doctor Frank Victor. I am assuming you are Gabriella's Grandmother?"

A worried smile faltered across her thin lips, "Y-Yes, how is she? How is my Gabby?"

"Well, she did wonderfully in surgery and is resting in a recovery room." He soothed.

"Can we see her?" a voice whispered from the back of the group, everyone turned, it was the Doctor, guilt written on his face.

"Of course, if you'll just follow me." Dr. Victor said, turning and walking down a hallway.

The four of them followed Dr. Victor to her room and gasped; all of her leg was wrapped in gauze, an IV tube was in one arm, morphine in the other and the machines beeped steadily along with her heart. She was sleeping peacefully so, they all grabbed chairs to wait for her to wake.

They waited for an hour before her sleep became fitful, then the machine made quick erratic noises and she started to seize. The women started to whimper and cry while the Doctor waved his sonic over her body. Before he could make a diagnosis, Dr. Victor and his nurses rushed everyone out of the room. Outside, the women held on to each other and sobbed; the Doctor ran a worried hand through his hair pacing beside the door.

He halted in his steps, face going white, when he heard the sound of a flat line, the women cried harder and collapsed against one another.

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**Sorry this one is a bit short, had a lot on my plate as a fore mentioned! Please review or PM me! Next chapter has another creepy dream sequence!**


	5. Just an Update!

**A/N: Hey guys this is just an update! I have found a part-time job, but will need to find another so that I can pay my bills. It does suck to be an adult sometimes, nonetheless, I have NOT forgotten about this story. It has been buzzing about in my head, so the next chapter will be a long one! **

**Thank you to all who have started to follow and to those who have Favorited "Dreams and Nightmares" I really appreciate you guys showing this story some love!**

**That is it for now, I have to go back to filling out applications and running around town! **

**-May the Doctor be with you**

**Jade**


	6. Chapter 6 a ROUGH preview (SHORT!)

_**A/N: Hey this is just a preview so that you guys know I am still very much alive. It hasn't been edited or anything like that just a blurb really. My life is currently going through the ringer so to speak. My long term relationship might be ending, I am working a crappy job just a few examples of the unpleasantness taking up most of my time! But I TRY to write, in between my attempts to fix my life and the crappy job I have had to settle for. This story is still always on my mind...I just do not always have time to write it all down. This blurb is for those who like the story and are losing faith that I still care! **  
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_She was in a large steel and stone chamber, everything was washed in a dark ruby light, and there were men and women standing around in a circle. An old man stood near the head of a brunt corpse, its limbs twisted horrifically and mouth opened in a silent scream._

_The old man sighed and ordered a younger man to grab the canister on a nearby alter, he scuttled off and brought the plain, clear vessel to his elder. As soon as the lid was removed a black vapor rose from the body curling around the younger man almost playfully. He shuddered and it let him be, rushing into the mouth of the waiting canister. The Elder closed it an placed it reverently on the alter he leaned in face inches from the writhing liquid._

_A dark voice filled the chamber, "a body…I need a body!" Every man and woman shivered, dread trickling down their spines. _

"_We gave you bodies!" the Elder furiously hissed, pointing to the corpse on the floor. "We've given you men and women, each ended up like that! The only one that didn't die went mad; her visions may never come back!"_

_There was a short pause then a sickly whisper, "corrupted, polluted and defiled were they, I need a PURE body!"_

_The Elder shook his head desperate for victory but losing patients, "Tell me then, tell me what you want."_

"_A body…a young body not yet eight cycles."_

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_**A/N: Sorry its short I have more written, but it is all on paper or my cellphone!**  
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